Outdoor Education & Leadership

Bucknell provides a perfect environment for outdoor education.

Bucknell students lead exciting and invigorating academic lives. Bucknell University is centrally located in the heart of Pennsylvania, home to 117 state parks, 2.1 million acres of state forest land, more than 1,500 miles of hiking trails, including a long leg of the Appalachian Trail, more than 1,000 miles of biking trails, rivers, quarries, caves and campsites. Bucknell also operates one of the finest college and university challenges courses in the country.

Bucknell Outdoor Education and Leadership programs develop student leadership, group dynamics, and environmental stewardship while offering a conduit for students and academics to connect our natural areas.

  • CLIMBucknell Challenge Course
    The CLIMBucknell Challenge Course at the Cowan Forrest Brown Conference Center features low and high elements, a climbing tower and a zip line.
  • Bison Bruiser

    A 2 mile run and challenge course that winds through the Forest D. Brown Conference Center at Cowan utilizing natural and man-made obstacles as well as some of the Low Elements of the CLIMBucknell Challenge Course.

  • BuckWild

    The Bucknell Wilderness Experience (BuckWild) is a dynamic outdoor pre-orientation program. It's a great way to meet your new classmates and learn more about yourself.

  • Bucknell Landing

    Located on campus at the end of Seventh Street and River Road, Bucknell Landing gives the campus community direct access to the river for academic research and educational use, boat access for both recreational and educational trips, and a quiet space on campus to enjoy the river and the natural environment.

  • Bucknell Outing Club
    The BOC leads weekly trips off camps (usually Saturdays) to do everything from hiking and rock climbing to caving and white water rafting.
  • International Expeditions

    Outdoor Education and Leadership offers international expeditions every other year. Our next trip is scheduled for the 2013 - 2014 academic year. Recent trips include Tanzania and Patagonia.